Name: Saluda Stockyards livestock auction prices — 2025-03-31
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-31

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sharply higher based on limited comparable sales, feeder heifers 4.00 higher based on limited comparable sales sales, feeder bulls steady, slaughter cows 3.00 lower, slaughter bulls too few to trend. Light offering of average quality cattle with active buyer participation.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb bulls averaged $322.01/cwt on 5 head. That ranks 2 of 15 comparable sales and sits −69.75 against this barn's trailing median of $391.76.

Average price

$322.01

5 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,781

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$147

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 3

$32.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+13.89

vs SC average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	500	347.50	1,738	1thin
Medium and Large 2	587	315.85	1,854	3thin
Medium and Large 3	505	315.00	1,591	1thin

One grade step is worth $32.50/cwt here — about $147 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

15 sales

Bulls 500–600 lb: high $449.95, low $312.46, median $391.76 across 15 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale5 hd

322.01

—

SC average6 barns · 63 hd

308.12

+13.89

This barn, trailing median15 sales

391.76

−69.75

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,670	169.53	2,831	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,212	153.70	1,862	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	932	96.91	903	3thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,020	$1,488	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	660	$1,250	1thin

Every lot, as filed

41 lots · USDA AMS · Saluda Stockyards - Saluda, SC

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,194	153.78/cwt	147.00–157.00	1,836	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	870	122.37/cwt	104.00–138.00	1,065	2
Bulls	—	—	1,670	169.53/cwt	155.00–174.00	2,831	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,323	146.93/cwt	144.00–150.00	1,944	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,055	46.00/cwt	46.00–46.00	485	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,255	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	2,083	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,326	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	439	366.88/cwt	365.00–372.50	1,611	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	495	340.35/cwt	340.00–342.50	1,685	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	200–250	215	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	860	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small 3	—	660	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	325	325.00/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,056	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	490	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,666	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,115	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,641	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	585	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,697	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	540	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,701	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	350–400	353	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,571	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	405.90/cwt	400.00–410.00	1,461	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	750–800	760	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,767	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	450–500	486	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	1,550	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	295	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,106	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	333	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,282	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,785	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	453	377.46/cwt	367.50–380.00	1,710	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	356.42/cwt	350.00–370.00	980	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	565	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,048	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	434	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,465	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,891	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	400–450	445	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,702	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	415	408.31/cwt	405.00–410.00	1,694	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	500	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,738	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Value Added	400–450	422	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	1,741	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	300	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,050	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	387	339.16/cwt	337.50–340.00	1,313	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	500–550	505	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,591	1
Steers	Medium and Large 3	500–550	510	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,607	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 3	300–350	325	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	975	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	925	1,275.00/head	1,275.00–1,275.00	1,275	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 3	—	775	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	698	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	587	315.85/cwt	310.00–320.00	1,854	3

How this sale compares

South Carolina weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every South Carolina auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

South Carolina feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →